By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
Calvary defensive coordinator Mark Miller left Independence Stadium Thursday night just like his first-team defense did all night.
He cleaned up. Heading to the bus, Miller took time to scour the turf and pick up pieces of trash on the Cavaliers’ sideline where the cheerleaders stood during Calvary’s not-nearly-that-close 48-22 rout of Huntington.
His defense had a very clean night, too. Facing an offense that posted 45 points in two quarters last week in a jamboree win over Northwood, and a school that rang up 35 points at Calvary last Oct. 24, the Cavs’ starting defense gave up only one touchdown in the 2026 season opener.
And they scored more than they allowed, posting two TDs. The first was a linebackers special: Jacob Tibbett cashed in a 24-yard scoop and score off a sack by Delancey Street late in the first quarter to open a 20-0 lead. Defensive back Vince Campanella polished off the performance on the first play of the fourth period with an 8-yard pick six to make it 48-7.
“I’m proud of our guys,” said Miller. “In the offseason, we committed to this. Yards are precious, points are precious. We’re gonna focus on that approach. We kept the same intensity all the way through, and that’s the standard we want.”
It certainly had the approval of head coach Rodney Guin.
“Defensively, we just dominated the game,” he said after extending his Caddo-Bossier record career wins total to 219. “We’re very active up front. That’s going to have to be our strong suit.”
Tibbett, named the Stars & Stripes Border Classic Defensive MVP, enjoyed his dash to the end zone.
“I saw the ball on the ground and said, ‘Oh, here we go,’” said Tibbett. “We (linebackers) were just talking about it at practice, about who had touchdowns on defense. Not one of us had ever had one, and it came into play tonight. That was pretty fun.”
The Cavaliers’ primary offensive weapon had a typical Braylun Huglon night. The senior receiver, who is committed to Baylor, made a leaping snag of a pretty Hudson Price strike in the end zone to complete a 29-yard TD. By 88 seconds off the clock, it followed a 10-yard out route across the goalline by Brady Martinez to finish Calvary’s first series, an 11-snap, 56-yard drive.
Eight minutes before halftime, Price was right on target as Huglon streaked down the Calvary sideline and in stride gathered in what turned out to be an 88-yard bomb, the longest of his career, moving the score to 27-7.
“He was trying to play off man. I saw Hud, and the play was for me. I just ran right past him, and Hud threw it, and I caught it,” said Huglon, who was greeted on the field postgame by his pal Peyton “Pop” Houston, the LSU quarterback commit who will lead Evangel against West Monroe in tonight’s 8 p.m. Border Classic matchup.
Price, a junior whose first season as a starter last year finished in a state championship game loss to Dunham, was sharp and worthy of the Offensive MVP award that went to Huglon. Price accounted for all of Calvary’s offensive points with four touchdown passes and a 9-yard option keeper, completing 11 of 15 throws for 216 yards with one smudge, an interception.
“Hudson showed me a lot this offseason,” said Huglon. “Me and him trained 7-on-7 all summer. He told us he was going to be better, and he got stronger, faster, taller. He’s going to be very good this year, and next.”
Just like Calvary’s program always seems to be.
Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com